Former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has said the decision to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC) was driven by the need to better align the state with the federal government and tap into the resources and goodwill at the centre.
Speaking on Monday during a welcome ceremony organized by the APC for the new defectors, Okowa, who was the PDP’s Vice Presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, explained that the move was in the best interest of Delta State.
Last week, Okowa, alongside his successor, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, and members of the state cabinet, formally joined the APC, ending the PDP’s 25-year hold on one of Nigeria’s oil-rich states. The mass defection sent shockwaves through the PDP’s national leadership.
Defending the decision, Okowa said:
“When the news broke on Wednesday that we had decided to change our path, people wondered why. But in the history of a people, there is always a time to chart a new course for the common good.
It was not about me. It was not about Governor Oborevwori. It was about Delta State. We needed to connect to Abuja — to the goodwill and resources of which Delta is a large contributor.”
Reflecting on his time as governor from 2015 to 2023, Okowa admitted that the state missed out on significant opportunities because it remained in opposition during his administration.
“I was governor for eight years in opposition. I did my best, but we lost a lot. I didn’t believe Governor Oborevwori should go through the same challenges. He’s doing a lot for our people, but he needs to connect to the greater source of power, resources, and goodwill in Abuja,” he added.
Describing the move as both patriotic and strategic, Okowa urged existing APC members in the state to embrace the new entrants and work together to strengthen the party’s dominance.
He also called for unwavering support for President Bola Tinubu’s administration and Governor Oborevwori’s leadership, stressing that the time had come for Deltans to fully align with the ruling party for the collective progress of the state.
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